


The Unofficial Hey Arnold! Jungle Movie

by shameonpretzel



Category: Hey Arnold!
Genre: Gen, the jungle movie, tjm
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 22:56:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7776928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shameonpretzel/pseuds/shameonpretzel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My version of how I THINK the Jungle Movie should play out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this story from 2005-2011, back when The Jungle Movie looked like it had a snowball's chance of being developed. It is now 2016, and the sequel is finally being slated for next fall.
> 
> In the original edit of the story, I gave Arnold the last name of Schwartz; general fan consensus insists that his last name is actually Shortman, so when I re-released the story on Deviantart, that was one of the first changes I made.
> 
> At the time when I initially wrote the story, it was script format, as I wasn't quite comfortable with writing traditional narrative. Now, with several other fanfics under my belt, I feel like it's time to re-visit the story one final time and present it in a way that most fans would prefer to have it read. It might seem redundant to post this again now that the story will finally be concluded in 2017, but I'd like one final opportunity to express what I hope to come from The Jungle Movie.
> 
> Thank you, and enjoy my vision.

 "Grandma! Grandpa! Wake up! I found a map!"  
  
That was the discovery that led Arnold to action. Two weeks later in the middle of the day, A mailman holding a brown parcel --not Harvey-- knocked on the door of the boarding house. The door was eventually opened by Arnold, who took a clipboard from the mailman to sign a form, then received his package.  
  
"Thanks a lot," said Arnold.

  
"You're welcome, Mr..." the mailman looked down at Arnold's signature; his lips curled into a crooked smile. "Shortman...?" he read, trying hard to suppress a snicker."

"Uh, yeah...that's my last name," replied Arnold.  
  
"Right, right...well, you have a nice day...Mr. Shortman...HAHAHAHAHAHA!"  
  
The mailman bursts out laughing as he walked away. Arnold rolled his eyes and went back into the boarding house. He passed by the kitchen, where Grandma and Grandpa were sitting and enjoying lunch.  
  
"Well, hey there, short man," said Grandpa Phil. "Whatcha got there?"  
  
"Hi, Grandpa," said Arnold. "Just some more information on San Lorenzo. I'm going to do as much research as I possibly can to make sense of the map. It's a long shot, but I feel as though I'm getting closer with every delivery. Every textbook, every pamphlet, every brochure - I can feel it. I'm getting close!"  
  
Grandpa smiled gently at his grandson. "Well, then you keep at it, short man. I'm sure that with time, you'll find what you're looking for."  
  
"Thanks, Grandpa. Well, I'd better get back to work."  
  
As Arnold turned and headed toward his room, Grandpa sighed when he was safely out of earshot.  
  
"Oh, Pookie," he sighed. "I'd hate to see him disappointed. I don't want to discourage him, but..."  
  
Unexpectedly, Grandma had placed her hand over Grandpa's in an attempt to console him.

  
"It's okay, Phil," said Grandma. "I'm sure that Arnold will understand eventually. Let him search, it's for the best."  
  
Grandpa sighed again, but smiled at his wife. "You're right, Pookie...it's for the best..."  
  
And that was the beginning of Arnold's obsession to try and decipher his father's map. For weeks he slaved over mountains of written literature, made scores upon scores of notes, and would only occasionally find the time for a few impromptu nap breaks inbetween. At some point Arnold's progress had reached a plateau where he could glean no further clues or information. One afternoon he sat patiently upon the steps of the Sunset Arms, awaiting the arrival of the mailman. Arnold watched eagerly when he appeared, only to be disappointed when the mailman shook his head.

"Sorry kid, nothing today" said the mailman, who silently snickered to himself as he departed. "...Shortman..."  
  
Arnold sighed in defeat and made his way back into the boarding house, dejected.   
  
"Hey there, short man. How's it...going...?" said Grandpa as Arnold passed by the kitchen, but he was met with silence. Grandma and Grandpa looked at each other, both concerned for the well being of their grandson.  
  
Arnold ascended the staircase in silent melancholy. His depressed reverie was interrupted, however, when he reached the top of the stairs and found Mr. Hynnh, Ernie Potts, and Oskar Kokoshka congregated in the hallway.  
  
"I tell ya, it's not right!" barked Ernie. "He thinks he can just waltz back up in here like nothing happened..."  
  
"...and just when I thought I could work Grandpa over for the room..." lamented Oskar.  
  
"Maybe he's not staying," reasoned Mr. Hynnh. "Perhaps he forgot something important..?"  
  
Ernie rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Oh, sure, Hynnh - he just realized that he left the light on in his room and decided to come back and turn it off...sheesh, use your head...!"  
  
"What's going on...?" asked Arnold.  
  
The three boarders were startled out of their conversation by Arnold's question and sudden appearance. Nervously, they eyed each other.  
  
"Well, I guess we should tell him..." said Oskar.

  
Ernie moved him next Arnold, conspiratorially. "Keep this under your hat, kid, but uh...he's back."  
  
"Who's back?" asked Arnold, perplexed.  
  
"Mr. Smith!" replied Mr. Hynnh, a bit more enthusiastically than was necessarily. The other two boarder gave him an angry glare and hissed "shhh!" at him. Mr. Hynnh responded by slapping both hands over his mouth.  
  
Arnold eyes widened in surprise "He's back? Wha...well, are you sure...?"  
  
"Oh, we're sure, all right," replied Ernie. "Kokoshka said he saw someone go inside Smith's room on his way to the bathroom."  
  
"That's right," added Oskar, his eyes shifting back and forth. "I was heading to the bathroom...and I saw him...and I also conveniently found $20 on the floor." As he brandished the cash, Ernie turned beet red.  
  
"Kokoshka, you bum! I've been looking all over for that money! Give it back!"  
  
"Finders keepers, losers weepers!" Oskar laughed as Ernie tried to pry the $20 bill from his hands.  
  
"Arnold, what are you doing?" asked Mr. Hynnh. All eyes were now on Arnold as he stood in front of Mr. Smith's door.  
  
"I'd better talk to him," explained Arnold. "Maybe there was a reason why he had to leave so suddenly."  
  
"Perhaps he had some unpaid debts, said Oskar. "I tend to disappear from time to time whenever forget to pay off a loan or two."  
  
"Or maybe he's running from the law," predicted Mr. Hynnh, who then shuddered. "I don't like him..."  
  
Ernie folded his arms and harrumphed. "Either way, it's not like you'll be able to talk to him - he never talks to anyone...stuck-up jerk..."  
  
Arnold knocked on the door, the sound filling the entire hallway ominously. At first, nothing happened, but then the door slowly opened. Arnold took a step back and regarded the boarders, who all looked very stunned.  
  
"It's okay, you guys," said Arnold. "I'll go talk to him." He entered the room.  
  
Ernie exhaled. "I don't know about you two, but I've got better things to do than waste my life in this hallway." And with that he turned heel and left.  
  
"Suzie's probably worried - I haven't bugged her about dinner yet..." Oskar tiptoed away towards his own door and also left.

Mr. Hynnh was now all alone in the hallway. He raised his hands and said to no one in particular: "This is all so verrrry creepy...!"  
  
Meanwhile Arnold was making his way through the room, which was pitch-black.  
  
"Hello?" Arnold called out. "Mr. Smith? Mr. Smith...?"  
  
He accidentally knocked over something, causing him to lose his balance.  Arnold blindly grabbed onto a string hanging from the ceiling, but he fell to the ground anyway. That string was actually a light switch, and as he had pulled on it, the room was awash with light. As Arnold struggled to his feet, his hand slipped on something on the ground. He picked up the mystery item and his eyes widened in shock. The item was actually a photo of himself when he was just 2 years old.  
  
It was at that point when Arnold realized the entire floor was littered with his baby pictures, the origin being the box which he had knocked over in the dark. Arnold stood up and looked around- the room was wallpapered with photos of him from when he was a baby to present day. Arnold noticed a TV, and a video cassette sitting atop it, labelled "Arnold's Milestones". When he turned on the TV placed the tape into the VCR underneath, his own face appears on the screen. In the video, Arnold was no more than 2 years old, with his Grandpa by his side and his grandma a short distance away from them.  
  
"Come on, Arnold," encourages Grandpa. "You can do it!"  
  
Reluctantly Baby Arnold leaves the arms of his grandpa and walks slowly into the arms of his grandma. Grandma lifts Arnold into the air and they both cheer; Baby Arnold laughs.  
  
"Yay, Arnold!" they cry simultaneously.  
  
Then the screen suddenly cuts to Baby Arnold indoors, sitting in a booster chair, about to be fed lunch by Grandpa. At that moment, Grandma charges into the kitchen, wearing a football uniform.  
  
"Kill the umpire!" she yells.  
  
Grandpa places a hand over his face and sighs. "Oh, Pookie...!"  
  
Baby Arnold claps his hand and laughs. "Foo'ba! Foo'ba!"  
  
"Do you hear that?" said Grandpa. "Arnold is saying his first word! Sounds like he's saying..."  
  
"Footba! Footba!" Baby Arnold repeated. He then took the bowl which Grandpa was using to feed him and dumped on top of his own head, then clapped. "Footba Hey!"  
  
"Why, it sounds like he's saying 'Football-head'," remarked Grandma.  
  
Grandpa chuckled and scratched his head. "Well, whaddya know...?" Grandma proceeded to dance around the kitchen to the tune of Baby Arnold's clapping.  
  
Arnold was suddenly startled by a hand resting on his shoulder. Remembering his martial arts training, he instinctively tries to defend himself, lifting the stranger over his head and crashing him into the wall. This alarms the unknown stranger in a trenchcoat, who lost his hat in the process. The hat rolled across the floor; the stranger attempted to sit up, cradling his head in his hand.

" _Mi dios..."_ groaned the stranger.  
  
"Who are you?" demanded Arnold. "Why do you have all these pictures of me? Tell me!"  
  
"It's okay, Arnold," said the stranger. "There's no reason to be afraid."  
  
 "Who are you...?" Arnold repeated.  
  
The stranger lifted his head so that his eyes met Arnold's _._ "I am a friend of your father, Miles. My name is Eduardo."  
  
"Eduardo...? But...I don't understand...where is Mr. Smith...?"  
  
"Arnold..." Eduardo said, standing up so that he towered over the boy. "I **am** Mr. Smith."  
  
_End of Chapter 1!_


	2. Chapter 2

Arnold stared at Eduardo in total shock. "I...I don't believe," he said."All this time...you were..."

He sat down on a nearby chair and held both hands in his head.

"...Arnold?" Eduardo approached him cautiously.

"I don't understand," said Arnold, visibly upset. "Why didn't you tell us...and why were you spying on me..?"

"That...is a long story," said Eduardo "and the sole reason why I came back..."

He sat down beside Arnold "It had all started 7 years ago...Your mother and father had been called by the Green Eyes in San Lorenzo to help their tribe, for a deadly epidemic had spread in their area, and was killing off all their people. It was supposed to be, like all the other times, a routine mission...but something went horribly wrong. There was an explosion in the main engine."

\---

Stella and Miles scrambled about the interior of the plane in a panicked state.

"The main engine's shot!" yelled Miles. "Both the wings are on fire!"

"The plane's going down, Miles!" yelled Stella. "What are we going to do?"

"Don't worry! We'll just take the two parachutes that Eduardo had arranged for us and..."

Miles froze and looked at his wife, a horrible realization coloring his face.

Miles made his way to the cockpit, already immersed in flames. He covered his mouth with his shirt and entered the cockpit as Stella retrieved the parachutes. After several seconds, the door opened and Miles appeared through the smoke with an unconscious Eduardo around his shoulder.

"We've go to get moving, NOW!" demanded Miles.

They both hurried to put on their parachutes. Before getting ready to jump out, Stella looked at her husband.

"But what about Eduardo?!"

 "It's okay, I've got him, now GO!"

 "I love you...!" Stella yelled as she leapt from the plane. Miles followed suit and also jumped from the plane with Eduardo tightly in his arms. Seconds later, the plane exploded in a ball of flames."

After the accident, Stella wandered through the trees, searching eagerly for her husband.

"Miles!" she called out. "Miles! Miles, where are you...?"

No answer. After several minutes of trying, she finally got a response.

"There's no need to yell..." a voice said, weakly.

Eventually, Stella located Mileslying on the ground, badly injured. 

"Oh, Miles!" said Stella, overcome with relief.  "Thank goodness you're okay!"

She knelt down to hug Miles, and he promptly yelled out in pain.

"AAUGH! MY LEG!" he exclaimed. "Probably broken..."just my luck, huh...? But you seem to be alright, and that's all that matters..."

Stella looked around. "Where's Eduardo?"

Miles goaned. "...aside from that....we were already so close to the ground when I pulled my parachute...I tried to, but I couldn't...he just slipped out of my hands..."

 "Oh no...wait here," Stella ran to the area where the landing took place. After a bit of searching, she found a heavily canopied area with a lot of mud. In the mud laid a still figure. Stella placed her hand over her mouth in horror.

"Eduardo...no..." Stella broke down crying. Meanwhile, Eduardo's body was lifted upwards by some sort of primitive apparatus concealed by the mud. Stella eventually noticed and looked on in confusion as Eduardo was lifted higher and higher into the trees. An opening appeared amongst the leaves and a bright green glow of light shone onto the ground below. Stella ran to the center of the mud hole.

"Wait, stop!" cried Stella, waving her arms frantically. "It's us, we're back! We've come to save your people! But...we need to save our friend first. Please...we need you now more than ever...we'll do anything...please..."

At first, there was silence. Then, a thick vine of rope was lowered down to Stella. She looked up with tears in her eyes and smiled.

"Thank you..."

\---

Eduardo groaned in the darkness. "Where am I?" he gasped. "I can't see! Oh no - I've gone blind!"

"It's okay, Eduardo," a woman's voice said. "You're not blind, only blindfolded..."

"Stella...is that you? Ahh, how good it is to hear your voice again. Where is Miles..?"

"Right here, buddy," replied a male voice. "That was some landing there, huh?"

Eduardo chuckled softly. "Yes...but it's the kind you only want to go through once...tell me, why am I blindfolded...?"

"It's kinda a long story..." said Stella.

\---

"Your mother had explained to me that I had been in a coma for the last three days," explained Eduardo. " And that if it weren't for the help of the Green Eyes, I may not have survived. Your father, however, was also in need of medical assistance, and since there was no hospital nearby, the Green Eyes were their only hope. I was nursed back to health blindfolded - your parents were not.

"You see, Arnold, the Green Eyes were a very secretive people. The only one's allowed to lay eyes on them were those that were a part of their tribe. To save my life, your mother and father gave up their freedom to become part of the tribe. They became Green Eyes. I was blindfolded so that I may leave unhindered when the time came."

"So...that means," Arnold slowly realized. "...my parents...are ALIVE...?"

Eduardo nodded.

"And the reason why they couldn't come back...was because they wanted to save you..."

"Your parents are truly remarkable people, Arnold...so remarkable that I was forever indebted to them for their sacrifice. I honored their final wish... I had enlisted the help of an outside source to gain the proper equipment necessary to accomplish my goal. My job was to watch you and monitor your growth throughout the years, to make a record of your youth for your parents to see. Periodically, I would make a journey back to San Lorenzo and deliver all that I had made about you to your parents. This all had to be done in secret. For the sake of preserving the classified nature of the Green Eyes, I was forced to take on an alias. That alias was Mr. Smith."

Arnold was silent for a spell, taking in all of the infomation. Do my grandparents know about this?"

"No. Miles may be their son, but they are not considered part of the Green Eyes. You are, though. To them, you are a sacred child, one who made the mountains quake with your birth."

"Why did you come back to tell me this? Why now?"

"Believe me, Arnold, I wanted to tell you sooner, but I came to realize that my presence was not welcome here... when the other boarders became suspicious of my intentions, they attempted to expose me. I felt that I was no longer safe dwelling here. I left not a moment to soon. I decided that I would return when things had cooled down.

"And now that I have returned, there is something I need to tell you. In the eyes of the Green Eyes, you are now an adult, Arnold, and for that reason, my service to your parents is now complete. I will no longer return here to spy on you and your family. I was told to give you this."

Eduardo fished in his pocket and pulled out a gold amulet in the shape of an eye. In the middle of the eye-shaped amulet shone an emerald.

"What is it?" asked Arnold.

"Think of as a coming-of-age present. Your personal key to the Green Eyes."

 "It's beautiful..."

Eduardo nodded slowly and stood up to leave, but not before Arnold stopped him.

"Wait...Can I see them...my parents, I mean?"

"That is up to you. I am no longer able to be of assisttance."

 "Then, I'll just tell my grandparents," insisted Arnold. "I'm sure they'll..."

"No! I am sorry, but that too is not possible; the Green Eyes insisted that you alone must be aware of their existence. If you decide to make the journey to San Lorenzo to see your parents, you must do it on your own."

"But...I'm only nine years old," said Arnold "...how will I do that...?"

"I wish I knew," Eduardo sighed. "But that is something you must figure out on your own. Your mother and father love and miss you very much. I wish you the best of luck."

Eduardo placed his hat on his head and went for the door...

"Eduardo...?"

Eduardo looked at Arnold, who also turned around to look at him. He smiled. "Thank you."

Eduardo returned the smile, "Adios, Arnold."

He exited the room, shutting the door behind him. Arnold sat by himself in the room in silence, turning the amulet around in his hands.

End of Chapter 2!


	3. Chapter 3

"No way..." exclaimed Gerald, on the steps of Sunset Arms with Arnold. "I don't believe it...your last name is Shortman?"

Arnold rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Gerald..."

Gerald shrugged him off. "Ah, I'm just kiddin' with you, man. Seriously, that's some pretty amazing news. Your parents are alive..."

"I know...after all these years...I didn't know how to react when I first found out...but now that I know...I'm going to find them..."

"How?" asked Gerald. "You said that you can't tell your grandparents, so how will you get from here to San Lorenzo?"

"I don't know," Arnold admitted, sighing. "Maybe we can fundraise...there's always the Campfire Lasses?"

"Uh, I don't think that's such a good idea—our house is _still_ getting egged since the last time we dealt with them..."

"Hmm, maybe you're right..." Arnold paused for a moment to ponder the situation..maybe I could enter an essay contest?"

This time it was Gerald's turn to roll his eyes. "Yeah, right. Like _that_ would work."

"We could hold a yard sale....?"

Gerald simply shook his head in response. By now, Arnold was getting exasperated. "Well, we have to do _something_..."

"But suppose you _do_ raise enough money to go to San Lorenzo," reasoned Gerald. "Then what? You can't just leave without telling anyone."

Arnold went silent. "I hadn't thought about that...."

"Maybe you could wait until you get your driver's license. Just tell your grandparents that you're going on a hiking trip, buy your tickets, and then—"

"But I don't wait that long, Gerald! I haven't a moment to lose. I have to get to them now...even it _does_ take a miracle."

No closer to the truth, the two friends stood and walked away from the boarding house. After they had left, Helga appeared from the side of the building, having finished eavesdropping.

"Oh Arnold, my football-headed little romantic,"swooned the lovestruck nine year-old. "I, too am aware of the insurmountable task laid out before you. For I was there that fateful night you had uncovered the truth about your dear mother and father...hiding under your windowsill as your soul laid bare for your grandparents to bear witness! If only there was some way I could help you achieve your miracle, while staying faithfully at your side....

Suddenly, Helga detected the sound of wheezing down her neck. Annoyed, she raised her fist square into Brainy's face, knocking him to the ground. Helga looked up to the sky and saw a blimp advertising for Big Bob's Beepers. Her eyes lit up and she grinned as inspiration struck.

* * *

Later that night, Sid awoke in his room to the sound of his phone ringing. He clumsily knocked the handset off the receiver, then slowly brought it to his ears.

"...Talk to me..." he said, still drowsy.

"Am I speaking to Sid?" came a distorted voice on the other end of the line.

Slowly Sid sat up on his bed. " Yeah...." he yawned. "Who's askin'...?"

"Never mind that..." replied the voice, who was actually Helga at a payphone, using the same apparatus to deepen her voice as in the first movie. "Tell me - how would you like to make an easy 50 bucks...?"

* * *

 Several days later, at P.S. 118, Principal Wartz is sitting behind his desk and playing with action figures, when the door suddenly burst open. Flustered, Wartz quickly brushed the toys aside and grabbed out a pen and paper in a feeble attempt to feign productivity. Helga enters the office and approaches his desk.

"Good morning, Principal Wartz!"

"Why, Ms. Pataki, this is unprecedented," asked the bemused Wartz. "...Don't you have class right now...?"

"I took a hall pass," explained Helga very matter-of-factly. "And decided I  to stop by and talk to my favorite school administrator!"

"Hmm...yes, well I'm very busy right now, so if you can hurry and state your business..."

"I'd love to!" Helga plopped onto Wartz's desk, knocking the paper right to the floor and snatching the pen from out of his hand. "Picture this, Wartzy: the cultural gap between Central and North America bridged indefinitely. Your school becoming the very focal point of archeological research. Prestigious institutions from across our great nation offer your students grants and scholarships for the work they've done uncovering our ancient and mysterious past. Your face on the cover of _Outstanding Scholars Monthly_ in all its sage and wondrous glory."

Wartz pondered the vision laid out before him with piqued interest. " _Outstanding Scholars Monthly_...go on..."

"It can all happen, Principal Wartz; all _you_ have to do is get the ball rolling. All you have to do is fund a trip to San Lorenzo for me and my class, and I can guarantee you that—"

But before Helga could finish, Principal Wartz laughed out loud uproariously. Helga jumped off the desk.

After several seconds of laughing,Wartz had finally calmed down enough to speak. He wiped his eyes and cleared his throat.  "I admire your ambition, Ms. Pataki...but I'm afraid that's entirely out of the question. Recent budget cuts have made it virtually impossible for me to permit more than two major field trips a year, and those are reserved exclusively for the sixth and seventh grade students. Furthermore..."

As Principal Wartz continued his financial rant, Helga sighed disappointedly, and reached into her shirt to pull out a small stack of photographs. She then tossed said stack emphatically onto the centre of his desk.

"...Which is why, even in the most healthy of economic situations, what you're asking of me is not only implausible, but downright unrealistic."

Helga started to count under her breath. "Five...four...three...two..."

 "Therefore, I must ask that you return to class before I am forced to take administrative actio-," Wartz stopped mid-sentence, finally aware of the photographs laid on his desk. "Where did you get those...?"

 "Oh, that's not important; you just need to know that they come from a very reliable source. What _is_ important is that you _will_ provide my class with the necessary funds for this financially extravagant trip, or I shall be forced to distribute these unaltered photographs to hands of every student and faculty member within this fine academic establisment."

Principal Wartz glared Helga dead in the eye. "You. Wouldn't. Dare."

"Wanna bet?"

The room fell silent. After a tense couple of seconds, Principal Wartz leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh of defeat.

"You drive a hard bargain, Ms. Pataki," he conceded.

"When you're the daughter of a Beeper King, you tend to learn a few tricks of the trade. Now then - here's what I need you to do..."

* * *

 The following day, Principal Wartz gathered the entire student body into the school's auditorium with an important announcement.

"In light of the school board's recent travel grant from the government, I have been directed to offer one class the opportunity of a lifetime to go on a special cultural hiking excursion into the region of San Lorenzo. After much deliberation, I have decided that that class should be..."

Principal Wartz surveyed the crowd until his eyes met Helga's, who gave him a thumbs up.

"Mr. Packenham's 5th grade class. Congratulations."

The kids of Mr. Packenham's class chatted excitedly upon hearing the news.

"Gawrsh," exclaimed Stinky. "Whodda thunk it?"

"Alright, I get to miss school!" laughed Harold.

"Wow, how lucky is that?" said Gerald to his best friend. "I mean, what are the odds that we would win a free trip to the exact location where your mom and dad are? Looks like you got your miracle after all, huh?"

"Yeah...I guess so," replied Arnold, still in shock at his good fortune.

"And now," announced Principal Wartz. "I will take a picture of myself with one of the students from the class for the newspaper—"

Before Principal Wartz can protest, Helga made her way onstage and stood next to him for the picture. They both shook hands and smiled their biggest false grins.

"Make sure they get your good side..." she whispered.

"I'll get you for this, Pataki..." said Wartz through gritted teeth.

A camera flashed. And the next day in the newspaper a picture of Wartz and Helga appeared on the front page, plus the headline, "Local School says 'To Jungle or Bust'"

_End of Chapter 3!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Part 4_  
  
It is several months later, morning in early May. Arnold is in his room, packing his suitcase, preparing for the field trip. Abner the pig is also roaming around in the room, sniffing around for a possible tasty treat. He 'barks' at Arnold, who merely smiles and pets him on the head.  
  
"I wish you could come too, boy..." says Arnold apologetically.  
  
Abner tilted his head and watches Arnold while he goes about his business making some last-minute checks.  
  
"Let's see...pants, check. Shirts, check. Sweater, check. Sandals, check. Underwear, check. Socks..."  
  
Arnold paused and looked at his dresser. At the mention of the word, Abner's ears perked up and he wagged his tail.  
  
"Socks. I knew I forgot something."  
  
Arnold walked over to his dresser and pulled out a few pairs of socks to stuff into his suitcase. He is stuffing them into his suitcase when he hears his Grandpa calling from downstairs.

"Get a move on, Arnold!" Grandpa called from downstairs. "We've gotta be at the airport by 6 o'clock!"  
  
"Okay!" yelled Arnold. "I'll be right down!" His head was turned away from the suitcase, as Abner jumped inside to get at the socks. Arnold closed the suitcase with Abner still inside, and carried it with him out of the room.

On their way to the airport. Arnold is in the backseat of the Packard looking out the window, while Grandpa occasionally glances at him through the rearview mirror.  
  
"So...are you excited?" asked Grandpa. "One week is quite a long time to be away from home, especially in a different country."  
  
Arnold nodded. "Oh, you bet. But I'm sure it'll go by fast, what with all the things we'll be doing on our trip."  
  
"Yeah...well,I'm sure you'll be spending a lot of time outdoors; the weather must be nice at this time of year. Just make sure you wear plenty of sunscreen and bug repellent, especially when you...ya know, hike through the jungle..."  
  
"Don't worry, Grandpa," responded Arnold. "I won't forget..."  
  
To that Grandpa merely nodded, and focused his attention back on the road. Arnold once again looked out the window, this time with more determination in his eyes than ever.  
  
_"...And I will find them...I promise..."_  
  
At the airport, all of the other students in  Mr. Packenham's fifth grade class are waiting for their flight. Many of the kids are still half-asleep; Harold is still in his PJs and sleeping on a chair while holding his Wally doll. When Arnold arrived, Gerald greets him with their secret handshake.  
  
"What's up, man?" said Gerald. "All ready for this trip?"  
  
"Ready as I'll ever be," said Arnold. "Where's Mr. Packenham?"  
  
"I dunno? He shoulda been here by now..."  
  
"Hello, class!" A middle-aged bald man approached the group waving.  
  
"Wait a minute," said Gerald. "Why is Mr. Simmons here?"  
  
Mr. Simmons answered his question. "Now I'm sure you were all expecting Mr. Packenham to accompany you on the trip. Unfortunately, he is at home with the stomach flu, so I'll be going in his absence. " He paused for a moment and sighed. "My, it's so nice to see all your special, smiling faces again."  
  
Helga sighed as well, adding an eye roll to the mix. "Oh brother, that's just what we need - 12 hours cooped up in a plane with Mr. Simmons."  
  
An announcement came on the intercom: "Flight 107B to Ecuador is now boarding. Passengers please make your way to the flight. Thank you."  
  
"All right, everyone," said Mr. Simmons. "Students and parent chaperones, follow me onto the plane!"

* * *

  
On the flight. Phoebe and Helga sat side by side.   
  
"Wow, amazing!" exclaimed Phoebe, deeply engrossed into a book about Ecuador. "Listen to this, Helga: ( _reads book_ ) 'Home of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador is a beautiful Central American nation well-known for its lush vegetation and indigenous wildlife. Originally inhabited by the Incas since the 15th century, Ecuador was colonized under Spanish rule until civil unrest brought about a revolution that created them into a republic in 1830. Ecuador's main exports come from its agriculture, especially such items as bananas, plantains, and coffee beans.' Now isn't that interesting? Helga?"  
  
Helga, was actually watching a sleeping Arnold a few seats in front of her, but snapped out of her trance to acknowledge her best friend.  
  
"Uh, yeah," quipped Helga. "Inca and bananas. Fascinating."  
  
Phoebe set the book down and gave a little squeal. "Oh, I am so excited! We get to spend the night in a hotel when we arrive, and then it's off to the jungles of San Lorenzo where we'll be camping for the remainder of the trip. My parents and I have been preparing for this trip since March. What about yours?"  
  
Helga scoffed. "Don't hold your breath. They didn't realize I was going until I was on my way out the door."  
  
Phoebe frowned. "You didn't tell them beforehand?"  
  
"Phoebe...do you think that I want to be out in the sweltering jungle with Big Bob and Miriam? There's enough hot air out there already if you ask me."  
  
Phoebe said nothing and returned to her book. Helga turned her attention back to Arnold and sighed longingly.  
  
Many hours later, the class arrived in Esmeraldas and took a bus to get to San Lorenzo. During the bus ride, Sid pointed his video camera at Lorenzo.  
  
"Hey look," laughed Sid. "It's Lorenzo in San Lorenzo!"  
  
Lorenzo brushed away the camera, annoyed. "Sid, that joke wasn't funny the last 15 times you did it. What makes you think it'll be funny now?"  
  
"I dunno - 16th time's the charm, I guess," he then pointed the camera at Curly. "Hey Curly, wanna say something?"  
  
Curly grabbed the camera and stared deep into the lens. "I brush my teeth with marmalade and egg-whites to keep it minty fresh!"  
  
"Oh...kay..." With some difficulty, Sid managed to pull the camera away from Curl and pointed to Rhonda. "How about you, Rhonda? Any words for the camera?"  
  
Rhonda smiled wickedly. "I saw Sid tongue-kiss a frog in the third grade."  
  
Flustered, Sid coughed and turned the camera downward. "Okay, time to shut off the camera now!"

* * *

  
By nighttime the group arrived at the hotel, checked in and made their way to their rooms, suitcases in hand. A woman approached Mr. Simmons and whispered something in his hear, to which he nods and gets the attention of the group.  
  
"Attention, everyone, "he announced. "I've just been informed that the Marimba festival is taking place in town. Anyone who's interested in taking a peek can follow me and Consuela to the festivities."  
  
Reba beamed with excitement. "Well, now that sounds like fun, sug' - I think we should go."  
  
"All right then," agreed Kyo. "Come along, Phoebe."  
  
"Yeah, let's go!" added Harold. "I'm so hungry that I could eat a pig!"  
  
Suddenly, there was an oinking noise. Harold stopped in his tracks and indignantly turned around. "All right! Who's the wise guy?!"  
  
Harold stormed toward Sid and Stinky, who back away apprehensively.  
  
"It wasn't us, Harold!" cried Sid.   
  
"You guys are lying! I know you are!"  
  
Stinky shakes his head. "Scout's honor, Harold! We never made that noise!"  
  
The oinking persisted. This time Harold picks up that it's within Arnold's vicinity.  
  
"So it was YOU!"  
  
Arnold blanched. "Uh..."  
  
Harold stomped over to Arnold. Just when he was about to punch him, Eugene sneezed loudly.

"Excuse me..." apologized Eugene. "I'm allergic to linoleum...ah-CHOO!" He blew into his hankerchief and snorted, almost like a pig.  
  
Harold leered suspiciously at Arnold, but finally leaves with everyone else. Gerald approached his friend. "What was THAT about...?"  
  
"Hey Arnold and Gerald!" called Mr. Simmons. "You two coming?"  
  
"No thank you, Mr. Simmons," said Arnold. "Gerald and I are going to head in early tonight."  
  
Gerald looked at Arnold, surprised. "We are?"  
  
"Well, alright then," said Mr. Simmons. "Eugene's father will be here if you need anything."  
  
As Mr. Simmons left with the rest of the group, Gerald gave Arnold a dirty look. "Man, why did you have to go and say that? I wanted to go!"  
  
"Follow me," Arnold grabbed Gerald's hand and they both entered one of the hotel rooms. Arnold placed his suitcase on the bed, and as soon as he opened it, Abner emerged, knocking him to the ground and greeting him with a lick to the face.

* * *

The two friends sat outside in the hotel garden. Arnold and Gerald sat on a nearby bench and watched as Abner ran around in circles merrily.  
  
"Well, you can't bring him into the jungle..." reasoned Gerald.  
  
"it's not like I have a choice," argued Arnold. "I can't exactly leave him here, either."  
  
"So what are you going to do? A pet pig's not exactly the easiest thing to hide."  
  
Arnold sighed. Abner ran into the bushes then returned with a stick in his mouth. Arnold patted him on the head, forcing a smile. Back inside the hotel, the two boys stealthily to make their way to their room. Arnold concealed Abner  behind his back and under his shirt.As  they turn the corner, however he bumped into Helga.  
  
"Ow! Watch where you're going, you little football-headed creep!"  
  
"Sorry Helga," Arnold apologized.  
  
"Hey, why didn't you go with the others to the Marimba Festival?" asked Gerald.  
  
Helga rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Like I wanna be around a bunch of screaming idiots in costumes...why didn't  _you_  two go?"  
  
At that moment Abner snorted. Helga raised her eyebrow and looks at Arnold suspiciously. "What was that...?"  
  
Gerald thought quickly on his feet. "Uh...Shortman! Shortman! Ah, now I remember! That's your last name, isn't it?"  
  
Arnold played along. "Uh, yeah! I know - it's crazy, isn't it? Anyway, I guess we'll be seeing you Helga!"  
  
The two boys quickly slipped past Helga.

"Hey! Watch the merchandise!" she scolded. When they were out of earshot, she pulled out her locket and swooned. "Arnold, what a loser...and yet...what a perfect creature...even if his last name is Shortman...there's that noise again...!"  
  
A wheezing sound had been following her. Helga turned around, startling Brainy who was standing right behind her. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled his face up to hers.  
  
"Look, Brainy. I'm only going to say this once: sneak up behind during my introspective moments again, AND YOU'RE DEAD MEAT!"  
  
She tossed Brainy to the ground and stormed off, passing Mr. Horowitz (Eugene's dad) in the hallway. Mr. Horowitz spots Brainy on the floor and helps him to his feet.  
  
"All you all right, buddy?" he asked.  
  
Brainy said nothing, merely choosing to nod.

  
"Oh, I get it - women troubles? Well, lemme tell ya, when I met Mrs. Horowitz, she didn't think much of me either. But I was persistent. All you have to do is keep trying. Eventually she'll come to see you for who you really are."  
  
Mr. Horowitz patted him on the back and walked away, leaving Brainy all alone in the hallway, wheezing and thinking.  
  
End of Chapter 4!


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, Arnold's class boarded a bus bus en route to the jungle. After Mr. Simmons finished headcount, he realizes a few people were missing.  
  
"Wait a minute," he said. "Where's Rhonda and Brooke?"  
  
"Uh, I think I know, Mr. Simmons..." replied Nadine. She whispered something to Mr. Simmons, who then sighed.  
  
 "Oh dear..."  
  
Several minutes later, Nadine and Mr. Simmons find Rhonda and Mrs. Lloyd, sprawled out on beach towels and in their bathing suits.   
  
"Finally, I found you two!" exclaimed Nadine.

  
"Nadine, be a dear and hand me the suntan lotion," said Rhonda.  
  
"Come on, Rhonda - it's time to go. Everyone is waiting on you guys!"  
  
"Isn't that nice..." quipped Brooke, Rhonda's mother. "Well you can tell them all to wait as long as they'd like, because we are not stepping foot in that  _putrid_  little jungle!"  
  
 "That's right," said Rhonda. "Now you can either go on your little nature excursion, or you can give me a back massage."  
  
Rhonda sat up, and two hands immediately proceeded to rubbing her back. "Aah...thank you..."  
  
"Anything for you, my pet..." came a voice that was most definitely NOT Nadine's.  
  
Rhonda shrieked and leapt up from her spot in the sand. "Curly! What are you doing here?!"  
  
I just can't bear to leave you alone, so instead of going along with the group," explained Curly. "I'll stay with you and keep you company...I'll never let you leave my sight..."  
  
Rhonda's eye began to twitch. She then stood up and ran at top speed along the sand.  
  
"Wait!" cried Curly. "Where are you going?"  
  
"At least in the jungle, I have a better chance of avoiding you!" yelled Rhonda, not bothering to look back.

\---  
  
Eventually all the students and adults made their way to the docks, where they boarded the bus that would take them to the jungle. Two onlookers - a couple of locals, watched as the boat departed.  
  
"Now where do those foolish Americans think they're going?" wondered the first onlooker.  
  
"I heard from one of them that they're planning on staying in the jungle for a while," commented the second onlooker. "For a field trip."  
  
"The Jungle?" the first said, dubiously. "Ooh...I sure hope they don't run into any trouble..."

"Or worse...La Sombra..."  
  
The two onlookers looked at each other, then laughed raucously.

\---  
  
Arnold and Gerald stood beside the railing of the boat, looking out at the dying sun.  
  
"How ya doin', man?" asked Gerald.  
  
Arnold shook his head. "I don't know...I'm really excited, but also...I'm afraid of what I'll find out...it's hard for me to believe than in a few hours, I'll be in the same jungle as my parents...the feeling is overwhelming..."  
  
Arnold trailed off into silence, and the two friend continued to stare out into the water. On the exact opposite side of the boat, Helga was also brooding over the rail. She held her locket and sighed.  
  
"I helped you get this far, Arnold..." she said to the locket. "The rest is up to you..."  
  
Helga hugged the locket to her chest and swooned. As if on cue, she sensed the oh-so familiar sound of Brainy wheezing down the back of her throat. Moments later, a splash could be heard as Brainy found himself flung into the water.

\---  
  
Eventually, the boat arrived at its destination.   
  
"All right, let's do a head count to make sure everyone is here,: yelled Mr. Simmons to the group. "First the students: Gerald, Phoebe, Rhonda, Nadine, Sheena, Eugene, Sid, Stinky, Harold, Helga, Lorenzo, Lila, Park, Joey, Iggy, Robert, Brainy, and Arnold...ahem...Shortman..." Mr. Simmons stifled a laugh. Arnold rolled his eyes.  
  
  
"For the chaperones, we have Mr. and Mrs. Hyerdaul, Mrs. Lloyd, Mr. Johanssen, Mr. Phillips and Mr. Horowitz. All right, then - let's set up camp!"

Right away, the group got to work making space and pitching tents. At one point, Nadine noticed a beautiful butterfly that passed her way. She followed the butterfly to a nearby bush, where she watched intently; suddenly,  a whole swarm of butterflies emerged from the bush and fluttered into the air. Nadine's eyes widened in total awe.  
  
"I'm home..." she whispered  
  
Meanwhile, Mr. Horowitz, Eugene's dad, was busy setting up a tent. He was hammering some stakes into the ground, when he accidentally smashed his own finger. He holds his finger and yells in pain.  
  
"YEE-OWCH!" he cried in pain, holding his finger.

"Don't worry dad," responded Eugene. "I've got the first-aid kit!"  
  
Eugene to his side,  only to trip over a wayward tree root and fall flat on his face. In the process, he inadvertently threw the kit and it hit Mr. Horowitz square on the head. Both Eugene and his father rolled on the ground in pain, groaning "I'm okay".

While everyone else seemed distracted, Arnold and Gerald stood to the side and talked in private.  
  
"Psst...Gerald, I'm going to try and sneak away..."  
  
Arnold attempted separate himself from the group, but not too long after he bumped into Mr. Simmons.  
  
Mr. Simmons put his hands on his hips and smiled. "Oh, and just where do you think you're going...?"  
  
"Uh..." was Arnold's lame reply.  
  
"Now I know you're all excited about doing some exploring, but I'm afraid that will have to wait until tomorrow. But I'll tell you what - you two can join me and Helga to get some water for the campsite."  
  
Helga suddenly appeared with two buckets, which she had thrusted at Arnold and Gerald. She then grabbed her own bucket and followed Mr. Simmons along a slightly beaten path away from the campsite.

Helga turns around and noticed the boys hadn't budged from their position. "Well, come on! Get movin' already, will ya?"  
  
The two friends caught up and walked in a single file line behind Mr. Simmons and Helga.  
  
 "So, what are you going to do now?" whispered Gerald.  
  
"Right now's not a good time," Arnold whispered back. "I'll try again early tomorrow morning, before dawn. But don't try and follow me - I've got to go it alone. Take care of Abner for me, okay?"  
  
"You're a bold kid, Arnold..."

 

\---  
  
Later that evening, Arnold crept quietly out of his tent with a small pack on his back. He tip-toed away from the campsite, disappearing into the trees. A few moments later, Helga also snuck out of the campsite, following close behind Arnold. When Arnold ducked under a low-hanging tree limb, Helga did the same; when he jumped over a shallow ditch, she followed suit. At one point, however, Helga realized she lost sight of Arnold.   
  
Helga paused and looked around in confusion. "Now where did he go...?"  
  
"Alright, what's going on?"  
  
Startled, Helga quickly turned around to face an annoyed Arnold, who had apparently been hiding behind a tree to throw her off his trail.  
  
"Oh, uh...hey, football-head," stammered Helga. "I was just...taking my daily midnight walk...it's really invigorating, you know, you should..."  
  
"You can cut the act, Helga. I know you've been following me."  
  
|"Oh. Heh-heh," Helga laughed sheepishly. "...Would you believe I was sleepwalking...?"  
  
"What are you doing, Helga?"  
  
"I..." Helga looked down at her feet. "I was just worried about you..."  
  
Arnold said nothing, but stared at her with skepticism.  
  
Helga got upset. "It's the truth! Don't you believe me...?"  
  
Arnold folded his amrs. "Honestly, I don't know why I should..."

Helga was cut deep by the remark. "Arnold..."  
  
"If you have something to say to me, Helga, then just say it."  
  
Helga went from being wounded by his words to being taken aback by the bluntness of his reply. At first she was speechless, but then, still staring at her toes, she managed a reply.  
  
"I...I can't...I'm sorry. Just take me with you...please?"  
  
Arnold shook his head. "No. "  
  
"Well, why not!" asked Helga indignantly. "If you ask me, I could be a--  
  
"YOU CAN'T COME!"  
  
Helga's stared at Arnold, shocked that he would snap at her. The two students stood in silence for several tense seconds before Arnold finally sighed.  
  
"Look, I know you want to. I believe you're telling the truth about that. For some reason this is important to you. But it's important to me, too. This is personal...you wouldn't understand..."

Helga pleaded with her eyes."...But...Arnold..."  
  
"Please, Helga - just once do me this favor...and back off..."  
  
Helga's hurt eyes were fixated on Arnold as he departed into the shadows. After standing in shock for several seconds, Helga fell to her knees, despondent.  
  
"Wouldn't understand...?" she repeated the words, as though they held a bitter taste in her mouth. "I know everything about you, for cripes' sake. You still haven't realized that...even after all we've been through...?"  
  
Helga succumbed to her sadness and began to cry. Only when she wiped away her tears and attempted to regain her composure did her ears detect the faint sound of wheezing in the vicinity. Abruptly, She stood up and stormed her way over to a nearby bush where, lo and behold, Brainy was conveniently hiding.   
  
"YOU!" exclaimed Helga furious. "I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE!"  
  
Brainy said nothing, opting to crawl backwards out of the bushes, wheezing all the way. Helga pursued him as she continued her tirade.  
  
"Every time! Every _freakin'_ time you sneak up on me! Why? Why do you insist on wheezing your STUPID breath down my back whenever I'm alone! Don't you get it? I don't like you! I've never liked you! Why can't you get that through your thick skull?!"  
  
She had Brainy pinned against an old tree, and raised her fist, read to unleash the terror of Ol' Betsy. Brainy curled up and trembled with fear, his wheezing reaching a fever pitch.  
  
Suddenly, Helga seemed very tired. She lowered her fist and rubbed it, then let out a resigned sigh. " Never mind, it's hopeless talking to you. I'm going back to camp."  
  
But when Helga turned around, she accidentally tripped something on the ground, causing the area around them to shake. The ground below them gave way and they both plummeted down an ancient stone slide. They descended for quite some time before finally reaching the bottom and being distributed onto the ground. And then, darkness.  
  
Helga awoke to Brainy's worried face looking down at her.  
  
"Ugh..." she groaned. "Brainy...what happened...?"  
  
Brainy opened his mouth to speak, but instead his jaw dropped and he merely pointed. Helga turned around, and her eyes widened as well. For the first time she realized that they have fallen into an ancient Mesopotamian temple; just a couple feet from them, she saw the flickering green light of several pairs of eyes in the shadows watching her. Helga sat up and instinctively grabbed onto Brainy.  
  
"Whoa...hey Brainy...? I don't think we're in Kansas anymore..."  
  
  
End of Chapter 5!


	6. Chapter 6

Helga and Brainy stood on a dais within an ancient temple. The owners of the mysterious eyes have made themselves known to their two guests, appearing from the shadows and wearing ancient Incan tunics. An elderly man wearing a tunic and a headdress approached Helga and Brainy, then turned to face his captivating audience.  
  
"My friends," he began. "For many centuries have we anticipated this day. Not since the sky blessed us with miracle healers from afar have we ever come to experience a more auspicious honor. Today, my friends, we pay tribute to the return of Coyolxauhqui!"  
  
The audience bowed down in reverence. Then the elder turned to face the two students again. "Coyolxauhqui - our goddess of the moon and earth. Our people know much about you and your exploits. Of all the powerful gods and goddesses, yours is a strength that we fear the most. And I see that you are accompanied by your consort, Xutl, the llama-boy. Even with your awesome power, you still manage the compassion to revive an abused llama to experience life as a human. Hail Coyolxauhqui!"

"Coyolxauhqui!" cried the crowd.  
  
Helga leaned over to Brainy. "Hey Brainy, they think we're gods!" she whispered. "Just play along, okay?"  
  
Helga approached the elder at the edge of the dais. "Silence!" said the elder. "The Goddess of the Green-Eyes speaks!"  
  
Helga blinked. "Goddess?"  
  
"Yes. You once again stand before us in  _Templo de Los Ojos Verdes_  - the Temple of the Green-Eyed People."  
  
"Oh," Helga shifted from foot to foot. "Yes...of course. Forgive me...uh, reincarnation really did a number on my long-term memory."  
  
"What do you wish of us, oh Great One?"  
  
"Well, you see, it's like this," she explained, while circling around the elder. "I've been doing some thinking, ya know, and I was wondering if you guys could possibly...come out of hiding?"  
  
The audience gasped in astonishment; even the Green-Eyed elder was taken aback.  
  
"W-with all due respect, oh great Coyolxauhqui," the elder stammered. "Such a thing has never been considered for any of our living generations. As a matter a fact, it was y-you that had suggested we lock ourselves away from the rest of the world. I must insist that-"  
  
"Whoa whoa whoa!" Helga cut him off. "Who's the goddess here? You DARE question my power?"  
  
"No-no," replied the elder, recoiling at Helga's rage. "Of course not...it's just that...why...?"  
  
"Because you are sought after! Somewhere in that unforgiving jungle, a little boy with an oddly-shaped head is seeking you for answers. As we speak, he is desperately searching for peace within his heart, and you are the only ones to provide it. Please...give Arnold peace!"  
  
The audience gasped a second time, this time kowtowing with their faces to the floor, and the elder had fallen suit. Helga looked on, bemused.  
  
"Criminy..." muttered Helga. " _Now_  what did I say...?"  
  
"Arnold...that name is not unknown to our people. Ten years ago, a boy such as you now described appeared in our land...his very birth exalted by the mountains...proof that he is indeed no ordinary child...but a god..."  
  
Helga flipped her hair. "Well, I'm glad to see that we're on the same page, at least - I used to say that about him all the time."  
  
Elder looked up from his prone position. "You...you know him?"  
  
"Oh sure - we go way back! Just ask Brai-uh, I mean,  _Xutl_...right, Xutl?" Helga nudged Brainy sharply and he quickly nodded in response. The elder rubbed his chin in contemplation.  
  
"Very well then...in light of these circumstances, we give you our most humble blessing to bring back the Mountain God. Please follow one of your servants; he shall lead back into the jungle."  
  
Helga beamed. "Really? That's great! You know - for a wrinkled old dude in a dress, you're alright!"  
  
Elder straightened himself. "Um...thank...you...?"  
  
A designated escort approached Helga and motioned in the direction for her to follow. Brainy stood up with the intent to follow Helga, but she shook her head.  
  
"No, Brainy - I want you to stay here. I've got to do this on my own. You understand, right?"  
  
Brainy frowned and looked at Helga with pleading eyes.  
  
"Relax - I'll only be gone for a little while. What's the worst that could happen?"  
  
Helga patted Brainy lightly on the shoulder, then followed the escort through the crowd and towards a secret passageway leading back to the jungle.

* * *

  
Back in the jungle. Helga fell out of a large tree and into a patch of lush vegetation. She spat out a few leaves and surveyed the canopy where she emerged begrudgingly.  
  
"Last time I take the scenic route..." muttered Helga. Several yards ahead of her, she noticed Arnold trekking through the jungle. She brushed herself off and ran towards him. At this point, Arnold was still unaware of her presence. As she closed the gap of distance between them, she was cut short by the sound of a raucous, laughing howl. Only then, when Arnold turned around to discern where the laughter was coming from, did he finally notice Helga.  
  
"Helga...?" he said, confused.

  
_The laughter grew to the point where the two students were surrounded by it from all sides. Suddenly, from up in the tree branches, a figure appeared - the silhouette of a figure swinging on a vine, heading towards Helga._  
  
"Helga!" Arnold warned. "Behind you!"  
  
Helga turned around, but by then it was too late - the firgure grabbed her and Helga is lifted off the ground in one quick swoop. Her initial reaction is to scream, which she does at the top of her lungs. Arnold watched helplessly as the shaded figure landed on a high tree branch with the hysterical fourth-grader in tow. Because it is still dark, Arnold can make out nothing about the mysterious stranger save for the outline of what looked like a poncho, and a shiny gold tooth as he grinned. Helga struggled to free herself from the stranger's grip, but to no avail, causing him to laugh once again in a raucous manner.  
  
"Let me go, ya big ape! Arnold! HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLP!"  
  
Helga's scream echoed through the jungle as the poncho-wearing, gold-toothed stranger swung away on another vine with her tucked under one of his arms. Arnold stood in shock as the thick tropical air literally reverberated with the taunting cackle of the mysterious assailant.  
  
_End of Chapter 6!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Arnold snuck quietly back into the campsite. In his tent, he nudged a sleeping Gerald._  
  
"Zzzz...five more minutes..." mumbled Gerald.  
  
"Come on, Gerald, wake up..." whispered Arnold  
  
Slowly, Gerald opened his eyes and yawned. "Huh? What time is it...?"  
  
"I need your help," whispered Arnold. "Helga's been kidnapped!"  
  
Gerald sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Wha...?"  
  
"Kidnapped!" Arnold repeated.  
  
"Kidnapped?" Gerald repeated, but yelling.  
  
Arnold covered Gerald's mouth with his hand and gave him an angry glare. "We've got to go rescue her!"  
  
Gerald shook his head. "Uh-uh. No way."  
  
"But Gerald..."  
  
"Arnold, look at me. It's out of our hands now. This isn't the big city. This is the jungle...the JUNGLE! With snakes and quicksand and who knows WHAT else out there, ready the gobble us up whole! I say we go straight to Mr. Simmons' tent and tell him what happened."

While Gerald was talking, Abner (whose eyes were still closed) rose to his feet and trotted out of the tent. Arnold noticed just as Abner's springy tail vanished behind the curtain of the tent.

"Gerald, Abner's gone!"  
  
"Huh?" Gerald turned to look at the opeining of the tent, then waved him off. "Ah, I'm sure he'll be alright - he's probably just searching for truffles again."  
  
"But you said it yourself - it's dangerous out there. I'm going after him." Arnold scrambled out of the tent after his pet, and Gerald followed closely behind.  
  
Meanwhile, everyone was still sound asleep, save for Sid, who emerged from his tent to "answer the call of nature". Still half-groggy, he approached a nearby tree to relieve himself, unaware of the knife jutting out of it, merely inches from his nose. When he was finally awake enough to open his eyes, he noticed the knife and lets out a shriek while falling to the ground. When on the ground, he looks up and realizes that three shadowy men are above him, holding weapons and grinning savagely.  
  
  
Sid shrill shriek surrounded the campsite. In an instant, the camp was swarmed by roguish men, most of whom were riding horses. In the pandemonium the other tents were alerted by Sid's scream and were surprised to be greeted with the onslaught. A man on a horse rode to the centre of the campsite and surveyed the area. Mr. Simmons approached the man cautiously.  
  
"Good work, gentlemen!" said the man, who had a thick Australian accent. "Ol' Somby'll be pleased with the loot we scrounged up today!"  
  
"Uh, excuse me...sir?" Mr. Simmons raised his hand to get the newcomer's attention. A group of n'er-do-wells surrounded him and glowered at him menacingly, but then broke apart when the man on the horse whistled loudly. The man was tall and wearing a sleeveless shirt, and a Crocodile Dundee-type hat. The man hopped off the animal and cordially approached Mr. Simmons.  
  
"G'day! Who's in charge around here?"  
  
"I-I am..." responded Mr. Simmons, timidly.

The man shook his han enthusiastically. "Cheers. Name's Stonewall - bushman-cum-treasure hunter, at your service. Now, I hate to be a burden and all, but my boss - real persuasive bugger, by the by -  instructed that I grab some of his men and some of my men in order to ransack your men - er, and kids, I suppose. And I'd really hate to disappoint the boss, so why don't you be a good hostage and let us do our job?"  
  
"Uh..." Mr Simmons replied.  
  
Stonewall patted him on the back. "There's a good lad! Eh Pedro - how's about you fit our good friend here with a nice bit of rope? Only the best, you understand?"   
  
A gruff looking Latin man placed a hairy hand on Simmons shoulder.   
  
"Oh dear..." Mr. Simmons blanched as the gruff man took him away.

* * *

  
Gerald and Arnold continued to follow the sleepwalking pig, with Gerald getting more impatient by the minute.

"Come on, Arnold...where is Abner leading us?"  
  
 "I'm not sure..."  
  
Gerald looked over his shoulder and noticed two men with swords behind them. One of the men spotted them and ran after them.  
  
"RUN!" cried Gerald.  
  
Arnold scooped Abner into his arms and followed suit with Gerald. Gerald tripped over something and fell to the ground, but Arnold was too far away to notice. Only when he stops to catch his breath does Arnold realize that his best friend's not behind him. Arnold backtracked and was horrified to see that Gerald was apprehended by one of the men.  
  
"Hey! Watch the hair!" cautioned Gerald.  
  
Thee man swung his sword, slicing off the topmost portion of Gerald's afro. Gerald's eyes bugged out in shock.  
  
"I'll take this one back to camp," said the man gruffly. "You catch the other one!"  
  
The other man nodded and chased after Arnold, who had no choice but to leave Gerald. Arnold ducked behind a bush, throwing his pursuers off his trail. A second man appeared from the opposite direction and met up with the first scoundrel.

"Keep your eye out for a kid with a funny-shaped head!" said the first man.  
  
"And you keep your eye out for a fat kid, a tall skinny kid, and a scrawny-looking kid with stringy hair and go-go boots!" barked the second. _T_  
  
Arnold: Oh no...  
  
Arnold closed his eyes and tries to think as the two men continued onward in opposite directions. Meanwhile, the sleepwalking Abner detected the scent of something and followed his nose to a tree situated right behind them. He stands on his hind legs, scratched the tree bark, and snorted imploringly.  
  
"What's wrong, boy?"Arnold inspected the tree. At first glance, there was nothing blatantly interesting about the tree, but upon closer inspection, Arnold noticed a symbol carved into the bark, resembling the shape of an eye. Scanning the carving with his hand, Arnold pulled out his amulet, the birthday present from the Green Eyes.  
  
"I wonder..."Arnold took the amulet portion of the necklace and joined t with the indentation of the tree. The necklace emitted a green light in response and the bark slowly gave way to reveal a door leading into the tree.  
  
"Hey, did you hear that?" said one of the men. Arnold scrambled into the interior of the tree with Abner in tow before the "door" closed on its own. The two men return to the area where Arnold was hiding and once again surveyed their surroundings, but when they were satisfied to that it was nothing, they left. Arnold watched them depart through the tiny knothole within the tree.  
  
"We'll be safe in here, Abner," Arnold reassured his pet. "But we'll have to wait awhile, until the coast is clear."  
  
Abner snorted  quietly and curled up in a ball in Arnold's arms. Arnold laid his back against the wall of the tree, and patiently sat in silence.

* * *

Meanwhile, in some undisclosed location, two criminals, a tall man and a short man, are casually playing cards in a dilapidated shack. Suddenly, they are interrupted by the very vocal sounds of protest. Instinctively, the two men dropped their cards and stand at attention. The door to the little shack is opened by a rather large and stocky mustached man in a colorful poncho and sombrero. In his hands, kicking and screaming, is Helga.  
  
"For the last time - put me DOWN!"  
  
The stocky man complied, dropping her on the ground. As she rubs her sore bottom, she noticed the other two men glaring at her, then laughing.   
  
"What are YOU looking at?" she said, scowling.  
  
"Hey boss," said the tall man. "You got a live one this time!"  
  
"Yeah man," said the short man (who sounded a lot like Cheech Marin). "And I bet her parents are loaded! From the looks of it, she's definitely not from around here!"  
  
"Si hombres, " replied Helga's captor.  "She's a student. An AMERICAN student."  
  
The two henchmen look at each other: "Ohhhhh..."They looked back at Helga with malicious grins on their faces, making Helga uneasy. The short man approached her, his hands moving as though he were some eager kid in a candy store.  
  
"So, uh, boss..." he said. "You mind if we give her a search for anything...valuable?"  
  
The stocky leader waved nonchalantly. "Knock yourselves out."

"All right!" said the two men, simultaneously. They advanced toward Helga, who unexpectedly jumped to her feet and into a fighter's stance.  
  
"Watch it!" she threatened. "I know jujitsu, so unless you wanna lose a few teeth, I suggest you back off!"  
  
The taller of the two henchmen ignored her warning and lunged; Helga who gave him a solid kick below the belt. The shorter of the two engaged into hand-to-hand combat with Helga, but was thrown against the wall. The boss stood off to one side and amused himself with the antics, belting out a hearty laugh every now and then.  
  
Helga let her guard down long enough for the tall one to get her in a lock, allowing the shorter one an opportunity to search her. Helga kicked and lashed around violently, causing her locket to fall out of her clothing and slide across the floor, hitting the foot of the head honcho. Immediately, the boss sobers. He bent down to pick it up, his eyes widening in surprise at the picture of Arnold.  
  
At last, Helga broke free, preparing to deliver another dose of pain onto her assailants. She is cut short, however, by the boss pointing the tip of a machete precariously below her nose. He casually twisted it from side to side. Helga gulped.  
  
"Tell me, chica..." said the boss. "Do you know this boy?"  
  
"What's it to you?" Helga scowls, her cheeks betraying a crimson color.  
  
_"_ You wouldn't happen to know where I could find him, in exchange for your freedom...would you?"  
  
Helga pondered for a moment, then coyly motioned the boss closer with her finger, as if to tell him a secret. He leaned in close, and Helga spat in his eye.  
  
The two men gasp in horror, certain that Helga has just sealed her fate. The boss staggers back a few steps, holding his hand to his eye. Unexpectedly, he breaks out into an uproarious laughter, which actually unnerves everyone else in the room. He wiped his face with conviction and beamed  with a newfound sense of purpose; he grinned widely, revealing for the first time his golden tooth.  
  
"Boss..." said the shorter of the two men. "You okay?"  
  
"Looks like I found more than I bargained for with you...HA HA HA HA!" The boss headed for the door. "Tie her up! I'll be back shortly!"  
  
"But Boss, what is this all about?" asked the tall man, but the boss had already left the shack, speeding away in the Land Rover parked out front.  
  
The two henchmen turn around to find Helga using the distraction to try and sneak out a nearby window. But she is caught and the kicking and screaming routine is repeated.

* * *

Arnold awoke several hours later in the dark. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he realized that he was still inside the tree. Arnold stood up stretched, actually observing his surroundings. All throughout the interior of the tree were intricately etched markings, almost resembling hieroglyphics.  
  
"Whoa..." Arnold said to himself. "This must have been made by the Green Eyes."  
  
Arnold found two things to his left: indentations on the wall resembling a ladder, and a hole appearing to lead downward into the roots of the tree. Arnold knelt down to inspect the hole; which was much too small for Arnold to use. Around its perimeter were numerous etchings of animals. Abner sniffed the entrance of the hole, then squealed excitedly at Arnold, his curly tail wagging at top speed.  
  
"What is it, boy?" Arnold pointed to the hole. "You want to go down there?"  
  
Abner looks at Arnold and cocked his head to the side. Arnold smiled faintly, petting the pig.  
  
"You seem to know these jungles better than I do. Go on home."  
  
After a moment's hesitation, Abner crawled into the hole and scampered off into parts unknown. Arnold climbed up the ladder until it stopped at a small door several feet off the ground. Arnold pushed the door to reveal the bright daylight sun, and a very large, very broad branch. Carefully, Arnold stepped out onto the branch and looked around, standing eye level to the canopy of the trees, was able to survey the entire jungle from that height. About several miles ahead, Arnold could detect faint plumes of smoke rising from an unknown source.  
  
Helga..." he said under his breath. "I'm coming for you."  
  
_End of Part 7!_


	8. Chapter 8

In a shack deep in the jungle. Helga is tied up to a chair as two henchman keep watch over her.  
  
"What do you suppose the boss was so excited about?" asked the tall henchman.  
  
"Who knows?" replied the short, squat henchman, who then held his stomach as it grumbled loudly."…man, I am so hungry…"  
  
The tall henchman pulled a banana from of his shirt proceeded to unpeel it.

The short henchman sat up, excited. "Where did you get that? Let me have a bite!"  
  
The tall henchman pulled away. "No way, man! Get your own!"  
  
"But I'm starving!" pleaded the short one. "Can't I just have one bite?"  
  
"Not on your life! The last time I let you have "one bite" you left me with the skin!"  
  
As the short henchman reached for the fruit, the tall one held it ever father out of his reach.

Helga rolled her eyes as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. "Criminy," she muttered. "How did I wind up held captive by Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber…?"  
  
She glanced at the front door, and to her surprise, she noticed Arnold looking in. Arnold motioned for to her to be quiet and she obeyed. Arnold stealthily walked over to a small corral where a group of horses were being held. He untied each horse then waved his arms madly in front of them, spooking the horses enough to cause them to disperse in various directions. The noise gets the attention of the henchman, who stop fighting over the banana and run outside.  
  
"¿Que demonios?" exclaimed the tall henchman.  
  
" _Mierda!"_ cried the short one. "Come back here, you beasts!"  
  
The men ran to retrieve the runaway horses. Arnold took the opportunity to sneak inside the shack to rescue Helga.

"Helga, are you alright? Did they hurt you?"  
  
As Arnold untied her, Helga immediately wrapped her arms around him in a hug.Arnold froze up in surprise as the hug lasted for several seconds. Finally, Helga realized what she was doing and released the stunned boy.  
  
"I mean…uh…"  
  
"Uh…Yeah…"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Both kids went silent, trying their hardest not to look at each other.  
  
Finally, Arnold broke the silence. "Come on, we don't have a lot of time before they come back!"  
  
He grabbed Helga by the hand and the two of them get as far away from the shack as possible.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at camp, the students and adults are rounded up, their hands tied behind their back, as the henchmen are ransacked the tents and their luggage. One of the men is held Rhonda upside-down by the leg.  
  
"I knew I should have stayed on the beach," grumbled Rhonda as the man shook her up and down, causing her cell phone, makeup, etc. to clatter to the ground. Dissatisfied with the results, the man grumbled something incoherently, then dropped Rhonda on the ground before saunterng away.

Mrs. Lloyd immediately came to her aid. "Oh, sweetie – are you hurt?"  
  
"Only my pride…" Rhonda gasped."…and my brand-new cell-phone!"  
  
Mrs: Lloyd held her daughter in a consoling hug. "It's okay, sweetie…when we get out of this, I'll buy you another pony."

A Land Rover arrived in the camp area, driven by the man from earlier who left the shack. He hopped out of the vehicle and surveyed his surroundings.

  
"Where's Stonewall?" barked the newcomer.  
  
Not too far away. Stonewall was lounging in a hammock. The man stormed over to find Stonewall dozing, his hat is covering his face.

"Stonewall!" the man repeated.  
  
Slowly, Stonewall tilted his hat to regard his greeter. "Eh there, ol' Somby – what's the good word?"  
  
The man shoved the locket in Stonewall's face. "Have you and your men seen this boy during your raid?"  
  
Stonewall scanned the picture in the locket quickly, shrugged, and rolled over in the hammock. _"_ Can't say I have."  
  
Enraged, the man yanked Stonewall out of the hammock and held him at eye level to his face. _"_ I. Am. Losing. My. Patience."  
  
"Whoa! Calm down, Somby! What difference does it make? These Yanks are worth a fortune!"  
  
"Don't you get it, you barbie-loving buffoon?" growled the man. "I need that boy! He is the key!"  
  
"The key to what?"  
  
" _Imbécile!_  To the Green Eyes!"The man threw Stonewall back into the hammock in disgust and stormed to the center of the campsite. "Listen up, you slime! I want this campsite cleared out, and I want these tourists out of here and taken to the  _Fortress de la Muerte_! Well, what are you staring at? Let's  _vamonos_!"  
  
The rogues did as they're told and started to prepare for the long trek to de la Muerte. Disoriented, Stonewall fell out of the hammock and onto the ground. "The Fort? But that's clear across the jungle!"  
  
"YOU!" said the man, pointing to Stonewall. "I want you to track down this gourd-shaped little  _mocoso_  and bring him to ME!"  
  
Stonewall scoffed. "Are you bloomin' mad? I'm a treasure hunter, not a bounty hunter!"  
  
"You'll be hunting for your head in the grass if you don't do as you're told! You have three days!" The man hopped into his Land Rover and sped away.

* * *

  
Arnold and Helga are running through the jungle hand-in-hand. At last they stop to catch their breath.  
  
"I think…this should…be far enough..." panted Arnold.  
  
"I hope so…" replied Helga, also panting.  
  
"Um…you can…let go of…my hand now…"  
  
Helga looked down and noticed their hands were still linked; she angrily snatched her hand away. "I wasn't the one to grab it in the first place, bucko!"  
  
"Please, Helga," pleaded Arnold. "Let's not fight…"  
  
"Well, you're the one who started it! One minute you want nothing to do with me, and the next you gotta be Rambo and fly in to save the day! What's your deal? And another thing…!" Helga paused, sidetracked by the vocal sounds of wildlife surrounding her. She looked around apprehensively. _"_ Where are we?"  
  
"I'm not sure…" admitted Arnold. "Listen, Helga…I'm sorry for how I treated you earlier. If I would have listened to you, I would have realized you were in danger."  
  
Helga looked at Arnold. "What do you mean?"  
  
"The adults, our friends, our teacher….they've all been taking hostage by a gang of pirates…isn't that what you came to tell me when I saw you the second time?"  
  
Helga looked blankly at Arnold, not saying anything for several seconds. Finally she smiled and chuckled bashfully. "Uh...yeah, of course. Why else would I be there? Duh."  
  
"Well, what's important now is that we stick together. So until we can find the others…truce?"  
  
_Arnold extended his hand. Helga slowly grasped her hand into his and they shook._  
  
 "Truce," she said, then smiled wryly. "Arnold…you're holding my hand again."  
  
"Oh, right – I am, aren't I?" Arnold abruptly let go. "Well, maybe by the end of all this, you'll tolerate me enough not to mind."  
  
Arnold turned and walked around to inspect his surroundings. Helga angrily punched a nearby tree.  
  
"Why can't I tell him the truth? Why can't I tell him how I feel…?" She letout a noise of frustration and plonked her head on the tree.  
  
"Helga, are you coming?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming! Hold your horses, will ya? When she caught up with Arnold, she noticed he was examining a large sheet of paper. "What's that?"

"It's a map of San Lorenzo," Arnold explained.  
  
"Oh, whoop-de-do," said a deadpan Helga, twirling her finger sarcastically. "Hallelujah, we are saved by Arnold and his 5th grade knowledge of topography. Luckily, I came prepared as well."  
  
She pulled out a compass from her shirt and tossed it to Arnold, whose eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"I just swiped it from one of the cronies back at the shack. I also stole a map, which I figure will probably be more useful than your outdated scrap of paper."  
  
"Oh yeah? Does your map include THIS?" Arnold pointed to a location on his map that appeared to house a small settlement. Helga quickly scanned her map and frowned.  
  
"No…but, maybe that's because it doesn't exist anymore. How would you know for sure?"  
  
"How else? We go there and find out for ourselves."  
  
 Helga looked at Arnold as though he grew a second head. "WHAT? Arnold, how old is that map? Like 10 years old? That place could be one big sinkhole by now! You really wanna risk walking all the way to a village that might not even be there?"  
  
"It's only hope for now. And we wouldn't have to worry about any of those pirates following us, because they don't know it exists. And if there ARE still people living there, then maybe they can help us in rescuing the others."  
  
Helga crossed her arms defiantly, looking away from Arnold.

"You just have to trust me on this."  
  
Helga glanced over her shoulder at Arnold, who gave her a cajoling smile. She sighed in defeat and shook her head. _"_ I don't believe this... _Fine._ But we better get a move on if we're going to make it to this place by dark. Lead the way, O Fearless Navigator.  
  
Arnold walked ahead and Helga followed closely behind as they made their way on a twisting and turning  path through the treacherous jungle.

  
_End of Part 8!_


End file.
